Edmonds-based fishing boat sinks off Alaska

Published 3:01 pm, Saturday, July 28, 2012

JUNEAU, Alaska - An Edmonds-based fishing boat sank Thursday night off the coast of southeastern Alaska, and all four crew members were rescued, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.

Officials said the 84-foot Mary Kay sank in about 600 feet of water, with a potential fuel load of 2,500 gallons of diesel aboard. It is not reported to be a hazard to navigation.

The sinking happened near Dixon Entrance, a waterway separating the north coast of Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlottes) from the southern Alaskan panhandle.

The Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the cause of the sinking.

Lt. Ryan Erickson, a search and rescue controller at Coast Guard Sector Juneau, said it is unlikely the fishing vessel will be recovered due to the depth of the water where it sank.

Erickson praised the quick efforts of mariners who responded to the sinking and prevented any loss of life.

"We were very fortunate to have so many good Samaritans respond to this sinking, which limited the amount of time the crew was exposed to the elements," he said.

The Coast Guard was notified at about 10:46 p.m. Thursday that the vessel was taking on water off Cape Chacon near South Prince of Wales Island. Coast Guard Sector Juneau issued an urgent marine information broadcast, and several vessels and aircraft responded.

An 18-foot Alaska wildlife trooper skiff and a tender from the fishing vessel Irish Rose were first to arrive on scene and located the four crewmen of the Mary Kay in immersion suits and a liferaft.

The crew of the skiff took the four survivors aboard from the liferaft and transferred them to another fishing vessel, the North Wind.

The survivors reported no injuries and were taken to Ketchikan, Alaska, aboard the North Wind. They arrived there early Friday morning.

At least one of the crew members is from the Puget Sound area, KOMO News sources said.